Some New Friends
by The Second Artist
Summary: Someone new had arrived at their high school. She had brought something with her, unbeknownst to everyone in Arcadia. The creature she unknowingly and unwillingly brought has a love for death and human flesh, and it decides it wants the Trollhunter dead. And it will stop at nothing to get what it wants, even if it means revealing what he is to everyone in Arcadia.
1. New Kid

**Hello, guys! How are you guys? Yeah, I know stories in this tag is basically like finding water in a desert, but we will make a lake of the Trollhunters tag yet! I hope. This show seriously needs more traffic. By the way, if you want to watch this show, it's a Netflix original created by Guillermo del Toro! The main lead of the show, Jim, is voiced by the late Alton Yelchin (RIP Alton. May he get many movie roles in heaven)**

* * *

Another day, another sleepless night, another exam he had to study for.

Ah, sophomore year. Poor Jim Lake had to suffer through such a year. Sophomore year was hard enough already. To add being the savior of a whole race of mystical creatures was basically murder! He was already half-way into the year, but he already wished for the sweet embrace of death.

"Ah, come on, Jimbo, it's not _that_ bad," his friend, Toby, said.

"Oh, yeah? Well then _you_ try being the hero of trolls, Tobes. It's hard!", Jim replied.

A girl ran up to them. "Hey guys! How've you been," she greeted.

"Claire! Hi, and well, I'm practically dead," Jim responded, slumping over in mild exhaustion, "I mean, I know I'm supposed to be Trollhunter, and I'm supposed to respond to _every call_ , but can't I just get a little break every now and then?"

"Yeah, I know how you feel," Claire began, "I-I mean, I don't know, since I'm not _the_ Trollhunter, but I also sometimes feel like I need a break from the whole...mystical creatures, and constant fighting, and fake baby brothers."

"Actually, speaking of fake brothers, how's NotEnrique?", Toby asked, trying to light up the conversation with something less depressing. It didn't help much. It only annoyed Claire further.

"What do you think," she asked, sarcastically, "He's being a brat! He keeps hiding my homework, so I have to look all over my _stupid_ house just to find it, and afterwards he makes messes, which _I_ have to clean up, mind you, and by this point, I'm tired, and I want to sleep, but I _can't_ because-"

"Woah, slow down, Claire! You're gonna hyperventilate if you keep talking _this_ fast," Jim chuckled, putting his shoulder on her shoulder. The signs of hyperventilation went away, and Claire's breathing slowed. She looked up at Jim with a sort of...love in her eyes, and said, "Thanks, Jim."

Awkward silence filled the space between them, until shouting could be heard from afar.

"What the heck?", Jim exclaimed, swerving his head to the source of the distress. The others did the same, and immediately ran to a secluded part of school, where there were no cameras. There, Steve Palchuk, school bully, was raising Eli's backpack way above his head, while simultaneously kicking him down every time Eli got near.

"Wow, what a pipsqueak! Can't even reach for his backpack!", Steve howled. Jim groaned loudly, and grabbed Palchuk's attention. "Hey, what are you looking a-"

A fist connects with Palchuk's face, and surprisingly, it isn't Jim's this time.

The school bully is knocked out cold by a chubby girl in a black skirt and leather jacket, someone who no one's ever seen before. She massages her fist.

"Thanks…? What's your name", she asked. Jim stuttered, "Uh...Jim. Jim Lake."

"Yeah, thanks for distracting him for me, Jim. Of course, punching him wasn't necessary, but I _really, really_ hate bullying. You understand, right?" This girl seemed oddly chipper for just knocking out the school's biggest bully.

"Um...yeah-yes! Yeah, I do understand."

Toby interrupted, "Excuse me, who the heck are _you_?"

In that moment, the school bell rings. "Oh, shoot! It was nice meeting you, guys!" With that, she ran off. Claire, Toby, and Jim just stood there, wide-eyed for a few seconds before looking at each other in disbelief. "You guys…saw that, right," Claire asked. "Like, I wasn't hallucinating that girl, right? She was real?" "Yeah, I definitely saw that," Toby responded, "And it...was... _awesome!_ "

Palchuk moaned in pain. The group whipped their heads towards him. That was Jim's cue to usher to his friends to leave while he told them he'd inform one of the teachers about Palchuk's "unfortunate accident."

The year was getting more and more strange.

* * *

 **Wow, new girl, new year, am I right? Yeah... maybe not. I might come up with the next chapter soon, so please wait until then! I am currently procrastinating on my homework so...yeah. Should _probably_ start that. **


	2. Kids Gossip about New Kid

**Look guys! I'm not dead! Wowza! But anyways, this is a new chapter, if you haven't guessed. How have your lives been? Please enjoy this chapter! Thank you!**

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Math.

Algebra, to be exact. The halls burst with kids running, and those walking at a slow enough pace to just barely make it to their class on time. It's dark in this dingy school hallway.

Jim entered his first period thinking about the strange girl. _When who even is she? She just knocked Steve out cold! She's probably really good at boxing then… I mean, how else would she be able to land a punch that hard?_

He sat down in his usual spot in the front, and did the usual spiel of removing his books. Just then, the teacher stepped in, and stood at the front of the class, in front of Jim. She cleared her throat, and spoke in a booming voice.

"Class, please hurry and take your seats,"

The class followed her command.

"Today, a new student will be joining our class. Her name is Coraline Idris."

 _I wonder where she learned to punch like that? That was pretty cool. I oughta learn from her_ , Jim thought when he was oblivious that a chubby girl with a black shirt and leather jacket waltzed into his classroom.

"Oh, wow!"

Jim finally looked up from staring down his textbook. A look of surprise appeared on his face. "Hi, Jim! Fancy seeing you again!"

Mary Wang exclaimed, "Wait, you know her, Jim?"

Jim stuttered, "Uh...yeah! She had helped me with a… problem, a few minutes ago. It's been solved."

The class erupted in a burst of quiet murmurs, and teacher immediately silenced the lot.

"Alright, alright, that's enough. Stop conversing and let's get to work," she turned to Coraline, "Coraline, you may sit behind Eli."

"You got it, boss." She gave a thumbs up as she said this.

As she passed, Eli looked up at her in awe and admiration. Coraline simply put her index finger to her lips; the universal sign to keep quiet.

"Okay, class, I need your homework from last week. Pass them up… come on, now, don't doddle…"

The cold air sped on and slowed down at an unusual pace, brushing through the hair of anyone who dare wade through it.

Trees, orange as fire and as yellow as gold shed their hair, and golden leaves swept through, leaving a trail of orange, red, and gold. The passage of fire, some may call it.

But these children didn't think about some silly foliage that flowed and cascaded around them. No, they were thinking about something else entirely.

"Her name is Coraline, guys! I found out this morning," Jim exclaimed. As they last school bell rang, the three friends decided to ride together, and talk about the student in school. Claire sat with Jim, while Toby was left to fend for himself in a flimsy old bike that somehow still managed to support him.

"She was in my fifth period class," Toby interrupted, "she was even in my group!"

At this phrase, Toby nearly fell off of the rickety old thing, but continued with alacrity, as if he hadn't even noticed it.

"She was in my eighth period class, but she didn't really talk much," Claire piped up, "She just kind of… kept to herself. Loner?"

All three teens turned on a block, passing the motorbike store. As they rode on, leaves crunched under their bike wheels, effectively ruining them. Mystery filled the air.

"I don't know...she is tough, that's for sure," Jim said, "You guys want to head over to Trollmarket?"

Both teenagers nodded in excited agreement, grins wide. They rode as fast they could to the old stone bridge, crisp autumn leaves dying, and crushing under their tires.

Feelings ran rampant, mostly that of contentment, and happiness. It was bliss, for a while.

But these three blissfully unaware the of the huge, overwhelming storm that came with the also very ignorant new student. New people, new battles.

New enemies lay in the shadows, watching the kids. They grin. They speak, and their voice is as raspy as a lifelong smoker's, and as deep as the ocean. They speak with lifelong hatred, and weary, wise tones.

"It is time for the Second Coming. The Trollhunter and his insipid companions won't expect it."

They laugh menacingly, and as quickly as they appeared, they disappeared, leaving a scorched earth beneath.

* * *

 **Shit, guys, new villain. You like that gender neutral pronoun? ITS TO BE ANONYMOUS BOYS. HAHA. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I spent a few days on this chapter, just to get it perfect.**


	3. New Kid and an Old House

**Hello again, guys! How are you today? I'll try to get these chapters out more quickly than normal. I shouldn't be delaying this.**

 **But in any case, I hope you enjoy the third chapter of this fic!**

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Autumn came into Arcadia Oaks like a wonderful surprise. Leaves and trees burst with hues of orange, and red.

The children of Arcadia Oaks bundled up in boots, and scarves, setting the tone of just how cold it was going to be in the weeks to come. Girls joined up in groups, chattering on and on about their latest homework problems, while guys chattered on and on about which teacher they abhorred the most. This was a fairly common thing most students.

Coraline idled along the front of the school, looking around, taking in the scene. She took in all the reds, and the occasional greens, oranges, golds, and all the colors that most kids took for granted. Vision deterioration isn't a good thing, especially after you've read in the dark too many times. Coraline had been so graciously blessed with less than perfect vision, and a set of glasses. It wasn't pleasant to be basically blind. She went back into the school.

Before she took off home, she went around school, looking for Steve, making sure he wasn't besetting people. She had subconsciously appointed herself as hall monitor, being wary of any suspicious activity. She wasn't authorized by the school to do so, but it helped her relax knowing others were out of harm's way. Out of Palchuk's way. It also meant she was giving herself a tour of the high school, which to her, felt like she was exploring some unknown, mysterious territory.

Which, in a way, it was.

She quietly, and carefully monitored the hallways, and all the secret spots she managed to find while in her first week here. All of them were Palchuk-free. She breathed a sigh of relief before heading to the front of the school once more. Coraline adjusted her backpack strap, and heaved it a little more over her shoulder. The sophomore bought huge notebooks especially for the new year, and brought along her portable gaming device as well. Needless to say, she might as well have been carrying about two pounds worth of school supplies, plus a gaming system.

Coraline pulled out her phone, put on her red colored earphones, and quietly stopped listening to nature's noises. The birds chirping, the pitter-patter of hundreds of adolescent feet running or walking on the pavement, the rustle of the fall leaves? They all disappeared as reality slipped further and further away.

Coraline sung quietly while bobbing her head left to right, crunching over leaves. Loud rock music could be heard resonating from the earphones.

There was a kid behind her walking down the old concrete bridge.

Coraline cleared her throat, and put her earphones away to be more aware to the surroundings around her. More specifically, to be more aware of the kid behind her.

She disliked others behind her, and she grew a bit paranoid. The kid passed her, and she breathed a silent sigh of relief.

She murmured a quiet, "Okay" as she tried to calm down. Coraline didn't do well with people she didn't know.

"Just calm down. It's just another high-schooler, it's fine. Why are you always so paranoid, jeez," she told herself.

Crunch, crunch went the leaves as she continued to walk through the woods to get to her own house.

About a solid hour had passed from the time she was walking from school to the time she arrived to her house. Despite the chilly air taking more of a hold on the poor girl, she was beginning to feel more and more sweaty, which wasn't a pleasant feeling. _Curse his chubby body_ , She thought to herself, _how can you have the audacity to betray me like this?!_

"I'm wearing too many layers for this," she grumbled, hoisting her backpack strap once more. She began to talk to herself again as she stepped on twigs, branches, and more twigs. "What was that girl's name? Claire? She was really smart," she muttered, and blushed slightly. She spoke in a hushed whisper, as if fearing that the leaves and the old-timey trees and the grass would hear. She whispered, "...She's kinda cute too…I wonder if she's...nah. A girl like her probably has a boyfriend."

She was most definitely right.

Coraline noticed the road beginning to clear, and the dirt path changing to manually placed stones in the earth. She grinned widely.

"Found it!", she exclaimed, taking off in a sprint. The trees stood tall at the end of the cobblestone road to reveal a clearing in the forest. There, in the clearing, was an old abandoned house. The house wasn't old enough to the point that it was falling apart, but young enough to sustain most of cold weather. The house was a bit grimey.

The wind swept through the trees, enacting a quick shiver as Coraline pulled her jacket closed.

Coraline entered the house, making a huge creaking sound echo throughout the two story building. "I'm home!", Coraline yelled, talking to no one. Coincidentally, the breeze outside swiftly made its way, almost like it was responding to her, greeting her with a, "Welcome back!"

Coraline still got that sinking lonely feeling, though. The feeling you get when you know you are completely and utterly alone in the world. The feeling that rocks your entire body and its numb from head to foot, and it hurts an unimaginable ton. But she knew she had to be positive to keep living. Life was hard right now, but she knew she could get through this.

If you're wondering where this teenage girl's parents are, they don't live with her.

This girl ran away from them about two weeks ago.

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 **Welp, this is end of this chapter. Tell me what you guys thought of this chapter, and tell me how to improve it. I hope you guys had a wonderful day today! Bye!**


	4. New Kid is Actually a Runaway

**Hello, again! I know it's been more than a week. I'm sorry about that, truly, I am. I'll try to make these faster as time goes by, and I hope you don't get bored. Thank you for reading my story!**

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Coraline set her things down. She looked around the dirty old house, and pursed her lips. She had a lot of work to be done on the inside of this thing. But she didn't have the time to do so right now. Homework comes first!

She quickly took out the math homework, the English homework, and all the textbooks she had to carry home. Finally, the backpack weighed less. It would take a grand burden off of her back.

"Oh, Jesus," she muttered, "This is a lot to work on. How am I gonna finish this by six? I was also given a laptop… how the heck am I gonna keep that safe?"

Coraline began to rack her brain for a way to keep the laptop safe from intruders, and burglars that thought that this house wouldn't be occupied. Except, it was. And that means she really had to be careful with who she trusted with the location of this house. _No, wait,_ she thought _, I'm not going to tell anyone. That way, it'll be safer for me and my stuff._

She sighed. Coraline thought of her parents. Would they care? Did they care? Do they even care if-

 _No. They don't. Of course they don't_ , Coraline forced the thoughts into her head, _They don't care at all. They wouldn't treat you so badly if they actually cared about you. You hate them, remember? Do you remember what they did?_

She replied to herself in the most monotone, emotionless voice her mind could muster, _Of course I do._ She stopped. Now wasn't the time to think about this. She had a job to go to later. How else was she going to pay for necessities?

Coraline pulled out a necklace she had hidden under her shirt. On it was a medium sized sun-colored crystal attached to it. She held it up to the oil lamp she had set up, and got mesmerized as it glowed in the light. Eyes began to water as she thought of her late grandmother. " _Ay, abuelita… te extraño mucho..._ "

Instantly, she wiped the tears away, sucked up her sadness, and focused on the task at hand.

Coraline Idris, local homeless girl, got to work on her schoolwork in a little-more-than-freezing house with waning light.

* * *

Jim and his mom sat down on the kitchen table, eating pasta and shrimp, something that Jim learned how to make a few days ago. Whatever Jim made, it was sure to be absolutely delicious. He was self taught, however, so he had a lot to learn. Still, Barbara Lake knew how adept her son was at cooking.

While his mom was relishing and enjoying the shrimp pasta, Jim had barely touched the plate of food. He had a lovestruck look on his face, and sighed softly. His mother noticed this quickly, and said, "Jim? Are you there?"

He didn't listen. She called for him again, this time, speaking a bit louder than before. "Jim!" He snapped with a start, nearly knocking over his plate and fumbling with his arms. "H-Hey, mom! What's wrong?" Jim gave a nervous laugh. A red blush formed on his face. Barbara smirked mischievously.

"Are you thinking about Claire again?", she asked in a sing-song voice as Jim's eyes widened, and Jim blushed more furiously. "N-No! What are you talking about?!" His mother laughed heartily, and Jim just laughed nervously once more. This… was uncomfortable.

"Jim, aren't you two dating now? There's no need to act that way anymore!", Barbara exclaimed. Her son stiffened. Why are we talking about this, Jim thought. He protested, "I know, I know. It's just… I mean, I still can't really believe this is happening." "Well, relationships usually start out with a bit of disbelief, but eventually, you'll get used to it," his mother stated, picking at a lone shrimp that swam in lemon, garlic, and parmesan.

The room went silent once more. There was awkwardness roaming about. Only the clinking of a metal fork could be heard. Barbara was the one to break the silence.

"So...how was school? Is it as boring as always," she asked, taking another bite of her pasta. "Uh," Jim started, fidgeting with a stray limp noodle on his plate, "Well, not exactly.

"See, this new girl came to school today, and she acted really bizarre."

"How bizarre, exactly?"

"Mom, don't freak out when I tell you, but do you remember a Steve Palchuk?"

"Oh, he came to the hospital a while ago for a concussion. Blond hair, blue shirt?"

"Yeah! Him! Uh, well, we followed sounds of distress from behind a corner of the school, and me, Claire, and Toby found Steve bullying Eli again-"

"Seriously? Again?", his mother's annoyed tone equally matched her expression.

"Yup. Again. Anyway, we went to check it out, and as soon as I was about to confront him, POW!" Jim punched his own open palm, "came this fist that I swear materialized out of thin air. It went straight for Palchuk!"

Barbara's mouth dropped. He could a school allow this sort of behavior? She knew he was the school bully, but that doesn't matter! They were just kids! "Someone actually _punched_ Steve?"

"Hey, mom, I told you not to freak out. Steve's fine! He just went home with a black eye." _And two missing teeth_ , Jim mentally added.

His mother pursed her lips, and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She warned, " _James Lake Junior-_ "

" _Anyway_ , we looked to see who it was, and it belonged to this girl that we'd never seen before! She thanked me for distracting him, I guess, and then the bell rang. I wasn't able to get her name then, but in algebra, I found out her name was Coraline Idris!"

Barbara spit her drink out it the side, caught off guard. Coraline Idris? That Idris? She was here? "Woah, mom," Jim exclaimed, immediately reaching for a towel to clean up the soda, "what's wrong?"

"I-Idris?!", Jim's mother exclaimed, mid-choke. Jim was puzzled to say the least. "Yeah, that's her last name. Why?" He had never seen his mother looked so startled before. What was up with the name 'Idris' and why did it look like it had a huge, staggering meaning to it?

"Jim, have you watched the news recently," Jim's mother started, jogging out of the kitchen and into the living room. She grabbed the T.V. remote, and after a few clicks, managed to find the right recording of a particular news update. Now, Jim was even more confused. Of course he hadn't watched the news lately. He'd been performing some very important Trollhunters duties. Like trying to get rid of Bagdwella's pest problems. But his mom didn't need to know that. "Jim, get over here!"

He did as he was told, and a reporter with aging hair and a not-so-aging face was presently speaking about the recent legalization of same-sex marriage.

 _"-legalization of LGBT+ marriage. But on other news, there's been a disappearance in Portland, California. A sixteen year old girl by the name of Coraline María Idris has been missing for over a week now._

 _"Her parents, Alonza Idris and Miguel Idris had reported her as such seven days prior. It was said both parents were a business trip to Mexico for a week. When they returned, they noticed their daughter was nowhere to be found. They did not file a missing person's report immediately, since they said, quote, 'It was only nine in the morning, and we thought she was at school, probably saying goodbye.'_

 _"The family was set to move to Los Angeles, California prior to this incident, but they say they don't think it's a smart choice to do so any time soon, in hopes that their daughter may return to them in the following days. If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of this girl, please contact the Portland police station at-"_

Barbara turned off the T.V. and swiftly turned to her son, who had a look of shock on his face. _That's her_ , Jim thought, his mind spinning, swirling, _That's actually her!_

"Mom," Jim exclaimed, immediately going to stand in front of his mother, who still sat on the couch, silent. "We have to do something! We have to tell them she's here! We have-"

"Jim," his mother interrupted. She stood up, stern and poised, and places both hands on either side of her son's shoulders. Her son instantly stopped fumbling and freaking out. He turned calm. "I will take care of this. You don't have to worry so much."

"But-"

"Ah, " she wagged her finger, "no buts. You don't have to get involved in this. I'm the adult, and I should worry about it, not you."

Jim sagged. _But what about you?_ , Jim thought. "I still want to help in some way." His mother gave a soft smile, and sighed, saying, "Of course you do. You're such a good boy like that. But I'm serious. Please do not get involved in this. There must be a reason why she ran away so far from home. I mean, Portland is thirteen hours away!"

Jim sighed. "Okay, mom. I won't get involved."

 _I'm gonna get involved_ , Jim mentally added.

* * *

 **"Ay, abuelita...te extraño mucho..." means "Oh, grandma... I miss you so much..."**

 **This one was a long one, huh? Well, I really wanted to get into Coraline's past a bit more, and I also wanted to feature Barbara Lake into this, since she is a prominent part in the show. Do not fret! The trolls are coming next chapter, I promise!**


	5. Main Kid Almost Dies

**Hello, guys! I'm sorry this is super late! I'll try to get another one out this week to make up for last week as well. Im sorry you guys had to wait for a long time. Also, I'll be sure to include more Jlaire moments, since this isn't a Jim x OC fanfiction. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

"Master Jim! You're slower than usual! What's got your spirits up in a twist," Blinky stated. That day, Jim had to train, as per usually required for his Trollhunter status. No matter how many times he ducked, slid, or jumped, he somehow managed to always get hit by the same big rock structures in the Guild. Toby and Claire had flinched each time Jim got hit, and Claire was pretty she was going to develop worry lines by the time she was twenty. Still, neither Toby nor Claire intervened. They knew he could handle this.

"I'm fine, Blinky! I pro-" _POW!_

Jim goes flying towards the other side of the guild, rolling, and trying to regain his balance before he's sent into the fiery pits of magma down below. Unfortunately, he reached the edge before the action ever took place, and Jim is left on the ledge, clinging onto dear life. He cursed under his breath. Wow, haven't been in this position since fighting with Draal, Jim thought nonchalantly, Great. This is just perfect.

" _No! Jim!_ ", the two other teens cried out. Claire began to run to her boyfriend. Toby did so as well, and both reached to pull Jim up. "Guys, you don't have to worry I'm f-" The rocks under him quickly gave way, and he felt himself slipping.

" _Okay, maybe start to panic now! Toby! Claire!_ "

Claire and Toby immediately grabbed Jim's arms, and yanked hard enough to pull him up. Which, wasn't even that much since Jim's body resembled that of a light pole. All teens fell onto the much more stable platform with an, "oof!"

Jim began to say, "Gosh, that was clo-" Claire tackles Jim, trapping him in a bear hug, nearly crushing the beanpole of a boy.

"Woah, Claire! There's no need to-"

"I'm so glad you're okay, Jim!", Claire cries out into Jim's ear, not really caring if he became permanently deaf in that same ear. She was just glad he didn't become magma. Fighting tears, Claire lifted herself off of Jim, and pulled him up to his feet.

She looked _pissed_.

 _"¿Por que estabas tan distraído, Jim?"_

Jim grimaced at the Spanish. Claire only reverted back to her mother tongue if she was really angry, and now was one of those times. God, he was going to get it.

 _"¡Dime por que! ¡Casi moriste hoy y necesito saber por qué!"_

"Okay, okay! I'll tell you! I'm sorry!"

Claire backed off, and stood before Jim, arms crossed, and a look of pure annoyance. Her foot tapped restlessly, awaiting an answer from her boyfriend. Toby looked at the situation, mouth agape. Blinky stood a little ways behind Jim, also awaiting an answer.

Jim sighed heavily, shoulders drooping. "My mom is trying to find something out about the new girl. She saw the news, and she's ...well, I'm worried about her. I think she's worried about Coraline. She found that Coraline was actually a missing person from Portland."

Claire's look softened, and her arms dropped to her sides. Toby made a small gasp. Jim continued.

"But the thing is she doesn't _look_ missing or kidnapped or any kind of horrible thing that might've happened to her. She looks... completely _fine._ " Toby and Claire showed similar puzzled expressions at this news.

Blinky just...looked utterly confused. "Who is Coraline, Master Jim? Is she a new friend of yours?"

Toby explained for him. "She a new girl who came to our school yesterday. Do you remember Steve Palchuk, Blinky?"

"Yes, of course! What had occurred with him? What does he have to do with this human?"

"She punched him! Right in front of us!"

Blinky's eyes widened in shock for a second, and soon after, his face turned to that of knowing. That is, _knowing_ that this would've happened sooner or later to Arcadia Oaks High School's _biggest_ bully.

"Needless, to say, she became someone to consider to be on our side."

"You mean that this did not occur to the miscreant sooner? That, in itself, is something to be bewildered about."

Toby exclaimed, "That's not the point! The point is that she's actually from Portland, which is like thirteen freaking hours away!"

"Blinky," Jim started, slowly turning towards his mentor. Unease was plastered all over his face. "She isn't kidnapped like everyone thinks she is. She thinks she ran away from home. And my mom wants to help get her back to her family, but I'm afraid she might just push this girl further into this pothole."

This old troll blinked his six eyes before he nodded in understanding. "Well, Jim, what are you going to do?"

"Huh?"

"What are you going to do to overcome this situation? You are the Trollhunter, and if you want to do something about it, do something about it. You are the protagonist of your own story, Master Jim."

Jim pondered over this for a second before Claire stepped closer to him.

"Jim?"

Jim turned to her, who had looked up at him with loving eyes, lightly kissed him on his lips. It lasted for a only a second, but it earned a bright red blush from Jim. Did the room get hotter or is it just all the lava?

"Whatever to decide to do to help your mom, i'll help. You don't have to do this alone."

"Yeah, Jimbo," Toby piped up, beaming with delight, "we'll help you in any way we can! We've always sticked together, man, no matter what!"

"Yeah, Jim." A long, drawn out groan said his name, and soon, AAARRRGGHH! hobbled into the guild, a big smile on his face as he overheard most of the conversation.

"See? Even Wingman wants to help!"

Jim looked to his feet, and chuckled to himself. Something warm and fuzzy manifested itself inside his chest, and he lifted his head high. Now, he was ready to face anything.

"Okay, guys. Let's get to work."

* * *

The figure seemed to have found Coraline, and became closer than ever to find the Trollhunter. They lurked in the shadows, sly and stealthy. They smirked with their big, toothy grin, and unsheathed a weapon. The handle was made of dark marble, covered in tattered red ribbon. The thick blade protruded from the hilt, and black waves of some sort of unnamed evil seeped and poured out of metal. The blade was curved near the top, and and a bony finger ran across it. The blade was sleek.

The menacing figure in the shadows merely stalked from afar. They knew it was not yet time to enact his plan, but he was nearly bursting with anticipation in starting. "Go on, darling, you just keep on being clueless. Soon enough, you will lead me straight to the Trollhunter. Oh, I can already taste his flesh in my teeth…!"

They laughed maniacally, and proceeded to stalk Coraline from afar. They twirled the sword in between their unusually large claws. Sunlight burst through small spaces, revealing a set of horns.

"I cannot wait to meet you again, darling. Soon, we will meet again. And when that day comes, I will have the Trollhunter within my claws. But for now, I shall wait. I will wait for you to make a mistake."

They crept back into the shadows, and disappeared, an evil laugh resounding in the distance, blowing through the wind and carrying throughout Arcadia Oaks.

Coraline looked back for the source of the strange sound, but quickly brushed it off, assuming that someone was on the road nearby with some friends.

Things were not going to be the same.

* * *

 **Welp, this is the end of this chapter! What do you think of the new villain? I'll try to reveal more about them later on in this story. Watch, this villain will have a bigger part in the story. If the Spanish isn't correct, please be sure to telling me and correct me, since my spanish isn't that great. I'm learning, though! Here's the translation:**

 ** _"¿Por que estabas tan distraído, Jim?" /_ "Why were you so distracted, Jim?" **

**_"¡Dime por que! ¡Casi moriste hoy y necesito saber por qué!" /_ "Tell me why! You almost died today, and I need to know why!" **

**I hope you liked the chapter! I'm sorry there isn't much happening, so I'll try to incorporate much more occurring in these next chapters, since it is already 5 chapters in and nothing has happened. I still hope you like it! Have a good day today! Or night!**


	6. Main Kid's Mom Gets Traumatized

**I AM SO SORRY. ANIMATION AND SCHOOL HAS TAKEN ALL OF MY TIME. IT SUCKS I KNOW. UGH.**

 **PLEASE ENJOY THIS (finally) FINISHED CHAPTER**

* * *

Jim pondered over the situation. First off, how on earth did Coraline even enroll into school? Well, that was answered by that very informative news host two nights ago. Her parents and her were set to move to Arcadia Oaks beforehand. But then again, why run here of all places? Why not somewhere farther? Why run at all? What even happened?

That, he planned to ask himself. First, he had to actually talk to her.

The trio planned to split up during breaks, since they couldn't exactly do anything while in class. Coraline either sat a few seats behind them, beside or in front of them, and all three didn't exactly want to get hit with a detention because they decided to tap into someone's life in the middle the Cold War.

Still, that didn't stop Toby, Claire, and Jim from trying to get to her during class.

Once, Claire tried to partner up with Coraline during class for a project, but someone else had gotten to her before she did. She had to partner with Eli, which she didn't mind much. The only problem was that she knew she could exchange partners, but she didn't exactly have the heart to tell Eli that, so she stuck with him.

Another time, during the same week, Toby, being a bit more bold than his best friend, tried to pass a note to her, since she was a few seats beside him. Unfortunately, his attempts were squandered by his Coach, who was the sub for the day. He made him read the dang thing in front of the whole class, and Toby had to lie and make up something else so he wouldn't get caught. God, that was embarrassing. Of course, he crumpled it as soon as he finished, and chucked it into the garbage bin. He sat grumpily in his seat throughout the rest of the class period.

On one other day, Jim had also tried to get to Coraline during break time since he spotted her under a tree, most likely doing homework from another class on her laptop. However, halfway through walking towards the loner, he got a call from Bagdwella, almost begging Jim to come over and deal with more gnomes. For a split second, Jim battled between going over there and actually getting some progress or doing what his Trollhunter duty required of him.

The Trollhunter answers _every_ call, right?

It was Friday at this point.

Barbara scrambled back and forth at the hospital, carrying various IV bags to various other IV stations. She hadn't even had time to breathe at her job, let alone think about going home. Right now, several patients needed new IV bags, and another several needed a check up, and even then, she needed to tend to a biker kid who had messed with the wrong kind of people in the dead of night. God knows how long the last one may take, what with the police and parents getting to the hospital.

She sighed, and smiled gently, knowing her son at least wasn't wrestling some scoundrels with a big knife in the middle of the night. At least he's safe.

On the second to last IV bag, Barbara received a page call to come down to the biker kid, since there was only an intern helping him out and his situation became more serious. She paged back, saying she would drop the bag off with another intern and head there straight away.

As she passed the halls, she heard the usual talks of boyfriends and husbands and their children. She also heard of the normal chatter of thinking aloud about what to cook for dinner or what to get their child for their birthday. Soon, she started thinking about Jim, and what he might be doing right now. Barbara checked her watch. 11:12, she thought, he's probably on break right now. He's probably with Claire and Toby. What're they talking about, I wonder?

She finally entered the room where the nurse called from. He's holding this kid down while this poor child is trying to get away from him. Barbara's first reaction is horror as she notices blood coming from his nose, and rushes over.

"Hold him down, Tyrone! I'll get something to calm him down!"

"You got it, Ms. Lake."

After two more male nurses arrives to hold the other side of the ruffian, and to hold the legs, Ms. Lake finally managed to calm the boy down with a sedative. His parents we're contacted, and she was informed that they would be arriving shortly. If you count two and a half hours being short. She could feel another page coming on, even if it hadn't happened yet, but she wanted to relish in the moment a while longer.

Being a doctor was arduous work.

She sat down in the cold, plastic chair in the corner, and watched as the boy's stomach rose and fell with each breath. Barbara pondered for a moment, and looked around the room.

Cold, light blue, sterile.

Three adjectives to describe both the hospital, and the rooms in it. Breath escaped her lips as she sighed heavily, and sank further into the hard plastic seat. She was just making an observation; it wasn't like she didn't like what she did. She loved it! It was her dream ever since was a little girl.

But sometimes, it was stressful.

It was stressful looking at the elderly, and thinking of her future in life. It was stressful to look at the children with leukemia or with some god-awful, incurable disease and picturing his son in their shoes. It was stressful watching a horde of injured or the few dead-on-arrivals who just came from a major accident a couple hours away. It was the most stressful when a child, just like this one, comes in bruised, beaten, and bloodied, and she has no idea where these...scars came from. It'd either be from fights at school, or muggings, or - god forbid - gangs. It was the worst when it came from the parents.

It was just stressful being an adult. Barbara only hoped that Jim wouldn't have such a stressful life when he grew up.

Barbara suddenly heard mumbling coming from the child. She feared it was going to be a night terror, and prepared accordingly, holding up her pager to her face. She didn't do anything yet, but she stood anticipating. Waiting.

The boy kept mumbling.

"He...he's here. That...thing….nightmares...he's here. Here. Here. Claws...claws…"

Barbara's look of determination and anticipation changed to a look of confusion. Claws? So it wasn't a gang that did this? An animal, maybe?

"Here...c-claws...he's...he controls...tall…"

What the heck? Nightmares? The boy's voice got continually louder as time progressed, and the face of waiting crossed her face once more. She was entering night terror territory. This wasn't going to be pretty.

He mumbled something more under his breath, inaudible, and began to rock from side to side, slow at first, but the rocking hastened.

"No...get away from me…"

The rocking got more violent. Barbara quickly paged Tyrone once more, and dreaded the immediate future.

"Get...Get away...get AWAY!"

He shrieked like a banshee, and cried so loudly, patients from down the hall could hear him clear as day. Barbara stood terrified, wondering how this much noise could be pumped out of a 15 year old boy. He sounded like he was being murdered, stabbed to death violently. She hadn't even heard this kind of screaming from pregnant women.

He screamed about someone - or something - ripping him apart, tearing him to shreds. He rocked back and forth violently, knocking the IV bag down to the tile floor, and throwing around whatever his hands could get ahold of. He yanked his IV tube out. His legs were flailing vigorously, and hit the dash at the foot of the bed, forming a pretty big crack in it. The space was a war zone, and Barbara was standing right next to it.

Barbara heard large, heavy footsteps barreling down the hallway, and yelps in surprise as Tyrone burst through the door. The large man leaped onto the teen, effectively restraining him. Barbara snapped out of her trance, and thrust herself into the fray, regaining her courage, and taking control of the situation. Tyrone was having considerable amount of trouble steadying the boy's swaying head.

"VLAD! VLAD, STOP! STOP! YOU'RE KILLING ME! STO-"

SNAP!

The screaming stopped before Barbara could do anything.

The boy's arms and legs just stopped precipitously at the sides of the bed.

Neither Tyrone, nor Barbara knew what to think or feel. They were just...there, unfeeling, disturbed out of their minds.

"Tch. You've already said too much."

Vlad lowered his extended arm, having just killed one of his escaped victims from the other side of the window looking into the room. He made sure no one saw him. His long, grey claws were stained with blood not-quite-dry, and looked into the room with anger running through his veins. He had let this one live too long.

However…

"They do not have knowledge of what I am. Or who I am…I am safe for now."

Vlad peeked at the red haired lady in the white coat once more.

"...Good. It must be kept that way."

He crept back into the shadows, not knowing that he had just peered at the Trollhunter's mother.

* * *

 **AGAIN SO SORRY ABOUT THIS REALLY REALLY LATE CHAPTER. I WILL ACTUALL TO GET CHAPTERS OUT. IVE BEEN REINSPIRED WITH TROLLHUNTERS SO ILL TRY HARDER.**

 **I KNOW I PROMISED, AND I AM DEEPLY SORRY ABOUT THAT.**


	7. Main Villain Finally Gets Noticed

**Hello guys! From now on, I will try my damndest to bring this story back from the dead, since I know that before that last chapter, I haven't updated for like a month. I'll try to get back into it, since I really am lacking in the fan fiction department.**

 **Actually, at the moment of writing this, I just remembered that I had promised a Voltron fanfic. Which I haven't begun writing.  
**

 **Hm.**

 **I suck at promises don't I? Anyway, I hope you guys can at least enjoy this chapter a little bit.**

* * *

Vlad decided to take a risk today.

He always hung back in the woods, being unable to be go out into the daylight. This meant he wasn't able to see where Coraline went at all times of the day.

This infuriated Vlad.

"Oh, _curse_ my utter stupidity! How could I have not predicted this situation sooner? Of _course_ my confounded species wouldn't allow for daylight travel," seethed Vlad. He gritted his sharp teeth, and raged on. "I am too _good_ for this kinds of minute mistakes! Too _grand!_ Too _magnificent!_ What kind of idiot makes these kinds of mistakes!?" Vlad continued to both compliment and degrade himself at the same time. Somehow, his ego doesn't shatter.

And then he roared. Who knew trolls could do such a thing?

The noise was grandiose, and reached into the depths of the even grander heaps of rocks surrounding Arcadia. Animals instantly recognized the noise as something sinister, something more terrifying than the predators that stalked them daily. Something wicked that way came, and instinct had predators and prey alike scamper away in fear.

Trees blew back a bit from the sheer force of it. The wind could only dream of making the lanky and firm trees sway with such strength.

The adverse sound reached the town of Arcadia. The noise affected the moods of the thousands of individuals unfortunate enough to hear it. Barbara looked up from the morphine she was giving to a patient, and listened. She grew worried. Just what the _heck_ made that kind of noise? It must've been a very large animal for it to reach all the way to Arcadia.

It reached the high school, as well. It seeped into the very hearts of the once happy students, and they grew fearful of the thing in the woods. The whispers, and the many births of rumors began. What was that sound? What _made_ that sound? No, grizzly bears don't make that sort of roar. No, mountain lions weren't nearly as loud. Besides, the woods aren't that close to us. It was something bigger. I thought it was a really, really big grisly bear!Or maybe a black bear! I heard that it was a 10 foot tall black bear. It was definitely a 15 foot mountain lion; I mean, I even saw it!

Jim paid no mind to the exponentially increasing chatter, and looked towards the waning echo of the roar, and grew serious.

"What the heck?", Jim muttered, slowly turning toward the source of the sound. "Jim?", Claire asked nervously. Toby looked up to his friend. Jim wore a determined look on his face, and watched as he put his hand into his bag, and instantly knew.

Jim was planning to go after the source of the noise. It seemed like Claire had figured it out at the same time.

"Jim," Claire warned, grabbing Jim's arm tightly, "what are you thinking?"

Jim looked at her, his previous serious and determined expression disappearing, and gave her a soft smile. His brows were furrowed, and he was just as worried as Claire was. Claire looked into his eyes, wide-eyed, and secretly hoped that maybe he wouldn't get himself in danger again. That maybe he'd stay and let the police handle it for once. But that roar…

 _It's unlike I've ever heard,_ Claire thought, _It's unlike any animal I've studied. He **has** to go after it! He's the Trollhunter!_

But that didn't stop her from wanting different.

Toby got to it before she did. "Well, if you're going after that thing," Toby slapped a hand on Jim's shoulder. He staggered. "We're gonna go after it with you. It's not just you anymore. We're _all_ Trollhunters!"

Jim stared at his best friend, and his girlfriend, and grinned like he had just won the lottery. God, he was so lucky to have the friends that he had. "Aw, thanks guys! You're both the best teammates a Trollhunter could ask for!", Jim exclaimed. They all laughed at that statement, and ignored the afternoon bell guiding them to their last few classes.

The look of perseverance returned. Jim commanded, "Okay, guys, we have to alert Blinky of this. He'll probably have already heard the roar, but we're going just to make sure. We're going after that thing. It is _not_ an animal."

* * *

Vlad royally screwed up. He shouldn't have roared. He had hoped to bring upon the death of the Trollhunter quietly. He hadn't _meant_ to bring notice of his existence, but now that he had done it, he only got even more furious at himself.

Then, he thought of the situation at hand. The Trollhunter most likely had a family… With the news of his death, he could cause _more_ damage! He could _revel_ in the pain and torment of these people. Perhaps he could even kill _them_ off...

"Ooh, this is going to be _marvelous…_ ", Vlad thought. He cackled, and slinked away somewhere, waiting for Coraline to return to her makeshift house in the impossibly dark woods. Somewhere in the thicket, the huge troll, complete with gargantuan claws caked in dry animal blood cackled maniacally. As he slithered back to the hiding spot from where he came from, he thought more deeply about what had just happened.

The insane grin that appeared on his face couldn't be compared to anything else. The toothy, crazy smile reached from horn to horn, and he _sliiiiiicked_ his tongue out. "Actually, I can let the Trollhunter come to _me._ Oh, this is the best impromptu plan I have ever thought up!

"Just you wait, mortal, I'm coming for your _flesh_ _!_ "

The sound of psychotic laughter beleaguered the pines and the oaks. His plan, while beginning to appear sloppy, was unraveling at the seams. The feeling of dread and uneasiness never really left the forest for the longest time.

* * *

Coraline walked straight to her makeshift home, but had felt extremely paranoid the whole walk there. Of course she had heard the roar - she was already on the way home -

She couldn't quite explain it, but for the past few days, something had been nagging at her. A certain feeling that she couldn't quite place for three days until she figured it out; it was dread. Anxiety. Paranoid that something was going to happen.

But anxious of what exactly? Finals? No, it was still the middle of the school year. The teachers? Aside from the cacophony of yelling and angry yelling occasionally coming from the P.E. teacher, most of the teachers were pretty nice. However, that Strickler guy seemed weird...

So if it wasn't school, what what is it? _It can't be my parents,_ she thought, _they don't know where I am. Wait, hold on._

 _What do my parents look like again?_

At this thought, Coraline paused. She stood amidst the plethora of leafy greens, and beleaguered by the noise of nature. Vlad stopped to observe her as well. He had been hiding in the trees branches, and was perched on top, out of sight from Coraline. He stared intently, never blinking, and wondered what she was thinking. Why she had stopped walking. Coraline kept thinking, kept trying to imagine her parents faces. Kept trying to grasp at a picture of them.

But she couldn't seem to get a hold of them.

" _Oh, mierda._ What do my parents look like?! _No recuerdo su apariencia!_ _Porque no pueden recordar como se ven!?_ ", she shrieked, putting her hands over her face. She began to hyperventilate. Vlad's eyes bulged out of his head as he realized what was happening to Coraline.

 _Shoot!_ Vlad thought, _the enchantment is wearing off. She's becoming more cognizant!_

Vlad gritted his teeth, and turned to run back to the troll dealer to kill him for swindling. However, while turning, the already fragile branch he was perched on gave a sickening and horrific _CRACK!_ Vlad whipped his head around to find Coraline still in the clearing.

She was looking straight at him.

Coraline screamed.

* * *

Jim, accompanied with Claire and Toby, stomped at a steady and stern pace through the woods. Jim donned his Daylight armor and sword, while Claire and Toby held their weapons close to themselves: The Shadow Staff and the Warhammer respectively. The three friends were on edge, and at every sound, they had stopped to listen to see if it would continue or not. It was safe to say they were a bit afraid of the thing in the woods, but they would never reveal that fact to each other. Toby, Claire, and Jim all had determined looks on their faces.

That is, until they heard a loud shriek coming from their left.

"Who was that!?", Claire exclaimed.

"Let's go!", Jim ordered, and all three sprinted through the shrub, swatting away stray branches. They jumped, and hopped over rocks and broken branches. They came up to a clearing in the woods, a road in the thicket. There, Coraline had sat on the dirt floor, stammering, and making a series of noises that would only be made out of fear. Claire's stern look softened, and she squatted down to her level, and quickly asked, "What happened, Coraline?"

Coraline continued to stammer, and suddenly just burst into tears, flinging herself onto Claire. Claire was taken aback, but still slowly began to pat the sobbing teenager on the back. Jim watched as Claire attempted to calm Coraline down enough to tell him that, "That...thing...went _that_ way!" Coraline points to further down the woods, down the shrubbery in front of them. The space was dark, and even further down the trees it was pitch-black. _Perfect place for a hiding spot,_ Jim thought.

He asked, "What did it look like?"

Coraline sobbed, but managed to croak, "It...It had looked grey? It's eyes... they were a sick shade of yellow! Oh god, its _eyes_! _"_

Coraline continued to sob heavily, and she was hyperventilating. She continued to wail into Claire's shoulders, effectively making her more and more uncomfortable. Toby knelt down, and began to rub Coraline's back in hopes of calming her down. Jim sighed in frustration. _There is no way she is calming down soon enough,_ Jim thought. A bright blue luminescence shined and sparkled, then faded as the washy blue armor disappeared, revealing normal clothes underneath.

"Hey."

Coraline looked up at Jim, tears still streaming down her face. Jim held his hand out, a soft smile forming on his face. Coraline stared blankly at the offered hand, and back at Jim. It stayed like that for a few seconds before she finally took Jim's hand in hers, and was lifted from the ground. She looked like a _mess._ Her clothes were riddled with dirt. Her face was filled with tear tracks, and was as red as a tomato. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were bloodshot. She kept sniffling, and it seemed almost unending and lasted forever. The hiccups started. Eventually, she began to wipe her eyes, and sniffles, "Oh, god. I'm so sorry for being -hic- so gross..."

She attempts to wipe her face with her jacket sleeve. Claire, bless her good soul, offered Coraline a tissue, and she hurriedly took it and blew into it. It was pretty loud, in Toby's opinion.

He gently asked, "Better?"

Coraline erratically nodded, not saying a word. "Ugh, I'm sorry," she started, "I didn't mean to look so disgusting." She chuckled.

"Nah, it's totally fine," Toby joked, "I look disgusting pretty much _all_ the time!" Jim retaliated jokingly, "Toby, c'mon!"

"C'mon, it's true!" Everyone laughed, and it finally seemed to put the smile back into the previously crying girl.

As soon as the laughing and good times stopped, Coraline turned to look at Claire and Toby and asked nonchalantly, "So, uh, what's with the cosplay props?"

Confused looks went around until they realized, _Oh no. The weapons._ They scrambled for an excuse before Jim blurt out, "Were _really_ huge nerds about anime and video games! We do this a lot about...what day is it today? Monday, yeah... Monday." Coraline raised an eyebrow, and instantly chuckled, a hand going to her face.

Jim thought, _Dang it, she knows that this is all b.s. Welp, I'm done. I'm dead. I'm gone._

"Jim, please don't tell me you think I'm _that_ stupid to believe you guys like role playing so much that you don _full, bright blue armor_ on, complete with a huge sword that looks pretty authentic."

Claire and Toby stared agape, and widened their eyes. Clearly they hadn't thought that _maybe_ that excuse wasn't going to work the twentieth time they tried it.

Jim stiffened, and scrambled to find an excuse before just sighing and confronting the sickening truth of what he has to do. _Great,_ Jim thought, _Blinky is going to be so mad at me for this._

* * *

 **To be honest guys, this is most likely the longest chapter on this story. That's a bit embarrassing. And pathetic. Mostly pathetic.**

 **I guess I can't really write a huge chapter, haha. Anyway, I hope you can enjoy this chapter. I started this a while ago, and it's actually summer now. This means that I can finally start to update this story more often.**

 **I hope you guys like this! Have a happy Pride Month and a happy summer!**


	8. New Kid Dreams about her Abuelita

**Hey, guys! How are you today? I feel really ready to continue this story all the way to the end. No, this chapter isn't the end. The story would be WAY too short, and I don't want that. I want to continue this story for a long time, or at least for a decent enough time. I just don't want this story to end so soon, and to be so short.**

 **I'm rambling again.**

 **I hope you guys can enjoy this chapter, and try to get back into this previously dead story. Sorry, again, for being dead for a really long time!**

* * *

 _As soon as the laughing and good times stopped, Coraline turned to look at Claire and Toby and asked nonchalantly, "So, uh, what's with the cosplay props?"_

 _Confused looks went around until they realized, Oh no. The weapons. They scrambled for an excuse before Jim blurt out, "Were really huge nerds about anime and video games! We do this a lot about...what day is it today? Monday, yeah... Monday." Coraline raised an eyebrow, and instantly chuckled, a hand going to her face._

 _Jim thought, **Dang it, she knows that this is all b.s. Welp, I'm done. I'm dead. I'm gone.**_

 _"Jim, please don't tell me you think I'm stupid enough to believe you guys like role playing so much that you don full, bright blue armor on, complete with a huge sword that looks pretty authentic."_

 _Claire and Toby stared agape, and widened their eyes. Clearly they hadn't thought that maybe that excuse wasn't going to work the twentieth time they tried it._

 _Jim stiffened, and scrambled to find an excuse before just sighing and confronting the sickening truth of what he has to do. **Great** , Jim thought, **Blinky is going to be so mad at me for this.**_

* * *

The forest around the group was quiet.

The trees rustled and and continued to sway back and forth in the wind. The greenery refused to remain still as all the unusual happenings and occasions had been occurring and happening. The sun was setting now. The beautiful hues of orange meshed with pink and yellow wonderfully. The rush of the city was dying now. Despite the waning of city noises and the quieting of humanity as it settled around the dinner table, the sounds of nature proceeded as normal, adjusting itself to the moribund daylight. The noises of mockingbirds and whip-poor-wills sang together in beautiful harmony.

But Coraline wasn't in perfect harmony with Jim. No, not at all.

You see, Coraline was fairly confident in her own abilities, and thought of herself as a smart, intelligent person. She wasn't ignorant, and wouldn't blatantly ignore something or someone. She was resistant to lies, and tried her hardest to be able to judge people by their character, not by what they look like or by what they like. She told herself she wouldn't be such a horrid person.

And, by god, was Jim being a total and utter _nutcase_ in her eyes.

She knew what Jim was like. Jim was smart, and probably one of the kindest people she's ever had the pleasure of meeting. Or, at least, that's what she's heard from other people. However, she didn't want to make any judgments based on what others had told her. She wanted to create impressions by herself, and be able to judge for herself. What was her judgement right now? That Jim was a blatant liar, and he was lying right now.

This made her angry.

So when she had heard the role playing excuse he so lazily came up with, she immediately jumped to anger and confrontation. That's how she was! That's how she defended herself. She admitted, it wasn't a good tactic, but she wouldn't change it for anything.

Jim, however, was panicking.

Usually people accept that, he thought, Shoot! Ugh, I don't want to tell her. But...ugh, do I have to? C'mon, Jim, think!

But every time he thought of a solution, it would end in her getting mad, or him spilling his guts about all of Trollkind. Sometimes both. Other solutions included her not believing him at all, and never speaking to any of them for the rest of their highschool days.

He sighed and confronted the fact that he'll have to tell the truth about trolls. She might not believe him. Sure, it'll make her more mad, but hey, at least she won't believe him. That is, until Claire spoke up.

"Coraline, to tell you the truth, we stole these things from some jerk as a prank."

Coraline whipped around. Claire sighed, seemingly defeated.

"Yeah... I realize now that it isn't a good approach. It was all my idea. Please don't get mad at Jim," Claire said, "He only went along with the ride. So did Toby."

I think I'm in love, Jim thought, while simultaneously thanking the gods above for Claire's acting. Coraline turned to judge whether she was telling the truth.

 _Can I trust them_ , Coraline thought, _Are they even telling me the whole truth? Claire seems sincere, so I think it is the truth. But people can act sincere...Ugh, I just don't know! Maybe what they're saying is actually true? Maybe they did steal it from some role player jerk._

 _That's the thing. You can never know who's telling the truth and who's a really good actor. However... the armor he had on... How did he take it off so fast, and without making any noise? Is that even possible?_

Coraline shook her head in frustration, and her expression furrowed.

 _You know what?_

"I'm done with this," Coraline finally said, throwing her hands into the air in exasperation, "Thank you for calming me down, I appreciate it, I really do. But..."

She hoisted the heavy backpack onto her back, and adjusted the straps. She patted herself down, cleaning away any dirt left on her skirt and tights.

"You guys can do whatever the hell you want," she spat, turning to leave, "Be whatever you want to be! Role-players, thieves, whatever! Just don't ever come near me again. It's clear you guys are incapable of telling me the truth."

Jim, Claire, and Toby all stood dumbfounded as Coraline turned heel and walked down the dirt road.

The trio did not follow suit.

* * *

As soon as he made sure the coast was clear, Vlad blasted through the trees, back the way he came. He practically flew through the leaves. He needed to get back to Coraline. He felt he was close to the Trollhunter. He smelt metal, and something foreign lingering in the air. He felt sure that the strange, otherworldly tinge flowing through the air was Merlin's Amulet. He grinned as the metallic smell grew. He spotted sunlight. Vlad stopped a few yards before the edge of the clearing.

Just in time to see Jim's Daylight armor disappear in a gust of blue shine and hues.

Vlad stared in disbelief, mouth agape.

He grinned wide, reaching from ear to ear, disregarding the conversation that followed after it.

 _Found you, Trollhunter._

* * *

Coraline frustratingly tried to finish the homework in front of her. She was capable of finishing it - why wouldn't she be? - but tonight was way more different than all the others. She was both mad and morose. Eventually, she just swept her school papers on the floor, and groaned loudly.

I'll deal with that later, she thought, abruptly standing up, and lethargically taking the lantern with her to her "room". In her room, she had her old matress, and old covers, and old wallpaper and walls and house to greet her. Next to the mattress, a bedside table that was on its last legs. In it was the school issued laptop, hidden away from prying eyes. On its surface was not only the beginning stages of rot, but also the same glowing orange crystal. Its base had been coated in molten silver, and it had a strong, felt string attached to it. Pretty basic design. Coraline set the lantern on the floor.

She sighed heavily, almost as if she was exhaling her entire soul out of her. She flopped onto the mattress, and reached for the crystal, and held it close to her chest. She felt tears well up, and forced herself to remain composed, despite her being by herself. No time for crying right now, she thought, I need sleep. No sense in crying about a past that makes you angry.

She went to sleep with the crystal to her chest. That night, she didn't dream about a past that made her angry.

Instead, she dreamed about the complete opposite.

* * *

 _I'm eight years old. I'm in the car with my parents, heading toward our grandma's house, and it's really, really hot outside. I'm pretty glad that we're going to_ Abuelita's _house because she likes to tell me a ton of cool stories! Like, there was this one with crystal monsters and superheroes. And-And there was this other one where the hero has a huge sword and beats up bad guys! I think that one is my favorite. Actually, I think that also counts as a superhero..._

 _Oh, we're here! I guess I should describe my grandma's house. It's a small, cute house. It's really, really, really old, but it's cute, and white. It's white and blue. All around it are mountains of flower plants! It looks like a bunch of fairies live there, since there are so many flowers. There are purple flowers, blue flowers, orange flowers; there's so many!_

 _My parents tell me to get down, and go greet_ Abuelita _for them. I run really fast towards the door, and burst through it, sonic speed! I'm really fast for an eight-year old. I can pass all the boys in my fitness class! They're losers anyway. Girls are way cooler! And prettier! And amazing-er!_

 _My_ abuelita _is sitting there in her big, comfy chair, watching T.V. I scream, "_ Abuelita _!" and she sees me and puts arms really far out and gives me the biggest, most loveliest hug ever!_ _After that, after my parents already got my bags and stuff, and after they had left, I got to live with my_ Abuelita _for a long time and hear a ton of stories! One day, she told me a story, and told me it was a very "special" story._ _She sat me down on her red carpet, and then told the story._

"Fijate, pequeña _, I'm going to tell you a very special story."_

 _"Is it going to have knights, and princesses? Ooh, are there crystal monsters,_ Abuelita _?!"_

"Si, penqueñita _. But there aren't any princesses in this story. Instead, there are trolls!"_

 _"You mean the monsters that eat your left socks?!"_

"Los mismos _! But they don't eat just socks. They eat all the dirty, nasty things that we leave behind, like trash in trash bins_ _. They live underground-"_

"Abuelita _, I knew that already!"_

 _"You didn't let me finish! They live underground surrounded by giant crystals as big as mountains! And there are trolls of all kinds! They're all made of rock-"_

 _"That's so cool!"_

 _"-and they all have shops, and magical potions. However, they cannot go outside in the daytime because it hurts them a lot. If they do, they turn into a..._ ay, como se llama ese cosa en ingles...una estatua?"

" _A statue?_

"Si _! Yes! That's what that's called! Yes, when they go out into the sunlight, they become statues. That is why they only go out in the nighttime. They lurk beneath bridges, but don't worry, they do not hurt anyone!_

 _"Trolls are quite friendly. All they want to do is live their lives happily! However, there are mean trolls called Gumm Gumms-"_

 _"Well, that doesn't sound so bad!" I cross my arms because, really, Gumm Gumms don't sound all that scary! They must be tiny animals if they have a name like that._

 _"Gumm Gumms live in a scary, dark place called the Darklands. They are bad trolls who are not friendly at all. They hope to hurt humans and trolls alike. They have a terrible leader who's name is Gunmar..."_

 _I saw_ Abuelita _shiver, and I asked if she was okay._

 _"Of course, of course. I am alright. It is just that Gunmar is so terrifying, and scary! It could even gobble you up! It could gobble up an entire city!"_

 _Okay, maybe Gumm Gumms really_ are _scary._

 _"But there is no need to worry,_ pequeñita. _The Gumm Gumms and Gunmar will never reach the surface. They are locked in the Darklands forever, thanks to Merlin."_

 _I gasp, "Merlin the Wizard?!"_

 _"The very same! He locked away the bad trolls so they could never hurt anyone again!_

 _"After this, Merlin assigned someone to the protection of our world_ y el mundo debajo del suelo. _He had armor as blue as the sky, and a sword as sharp as dragon's teeth. He would protect us with everything he had, and more. Someone Merlin could rely on.._

 _I nodded in excitement. Who was it?!_

 _"He was..."_

* * *

"...the Trollhunter!"

Coraline woke with a start, as she quickly sat up in her mattress, still clutching the crystal close to her. She was panting heavily, and just squeezed the crystal even further. She thought about the word. _Trollhunter? What's a Trollhunter,_ Coraline thought, _Someone who hunts trolls? What was that **dream**? _

It took her a moment to realize that she was crying.

"Why am I crying?", she asked to no one. And yet, someone had answered.

"Maybe because you're about to meet _me."_

Coraline whipped around to see Vlad, leaning on the old, wooden wall on the opposite side of the room.

He was grinning, teeth bared, ready to take action.

* * *

 **OOOOOOOOH, BOY! This is the end of this chapter. I'm sorry writing this chapter took a while. I hope you enjoyed this chapter though! I will get to work with the next chapter. I have an idea for the next chapter, and I might include it in a separate section. It might be separated from this story. Kind of like a part 2 for 'Some New Friends'.**

 **Anyway, this is just an idea.**

 **I hope you guys have a nice day!**


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